Automate insulating glass testing according to global standards
The glass laboratory at TÜV Rheinland in Arnhem provides glass manufacturers from all over the world with the testing and certification of their products. Within the wide range of tests that must be carried out according to different standards depending on the nature and application of the glass, gas loss in insulating glass is a special one. The test system developed by TÜV has been automated with the help of Da Vinci Laboratory Solutions in such a way that TÜV Rheinland customers can also use the device themselves.
Testing of insulating glass
A test that is exclusively intended for insulating glass windows is the gas leak test. With high-efficiency glass, the space between the two or three panes is filled with a gas, usually argon, which provides an extra insulating effect. This leads to a certain insulation value (U-value) that is guaranteed by manufacturers for a certain period, say ten years. To substantiate the feasibility of this guarantee, you must be able to demonstrate that the argon actually remains between the windows and does not leak out.
“In this case, the standard does not state how exactly you should test this, but only provides a general description. Based on this, we built a test setup at TÜV Rheinland, which we have used successfully for years. In collaboration with Da Vinci Laboratory Solutions, we recently converted this test setup into a professional device that is easy to operate due to extensive automation. This works so well that some of our major customers have now shown interest in the device and have actually purchased it to measure with it themselves. Initially we were a bit hesitant about this, because in that case we might no longer have to carry out the CE marking tests for them. But we noticed the opposite happened after we delivered the first of six setups so far. The customers were able to make corrections in their production process in advance through the internal tests, but then asked if we could also participate in the testing. They attach great importance to independent confirmation of the measurement results,” says Henk van Ginkel.
Nederlands